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Awards handed out for second annual CanBuildIt competition

The second annual CanBuildIt Competition wrapped up with the winners ceremony at Blackjacks Roadhouse in Nisku on April 8. Organized by Blackjacks in benefit for the Leduc and District Food Bank, event chair Krysta Shields presented the three winners a recognition plaque in three separate categories. This year’s winner in the business category was the Executive Royal Hotel Edmonton Airport. The hotel also took home overall points winner, which was determined by judges. Seventy per cent of the vote was determined by how useful the food items will be to the food bank and 30 per cent for creativity. In the municipal category, Leduc County and Black Gold Regional Schools teamed up again and took home the award for their school bus creation. This is the second year in a row they won in that category. Bobby Roy/Regional Editor

With the introduction of a new category, this year’s big winner of the second annual CanBuildIt competition is the Executive Royal Hotel Edmonton Airport and of course, the Leduc and District Food Bank.
On Saturday, April 8, event chairs Krysta Shields and Jocelyn Whaley announced the three winners of this year’s contest, which challenged local businesses and municipalities to construct a design solely out of useable food items that will be eventually donated to the food bank.
The competition opened up on March 1 in hopes of collecting as many food items along with monetary donations for the food bank, and add in a little friendly competition.
This year there were three different categories for winners — municipal, business and overall points winner.
Like last year, Leduc County and Black Gold Regional Schools won in the municipal category and the Executive Royal Hotel Edmonton Airport took home the prize for both business and overall points winner.
“This is a great contest and a great way to get businesses and municipalities involved together to better the community,” said Shields.
Leduc Physio, Precision Drilling, Leduc Downtown Business Association, the City of Leduc, and Blackjacks Roadhouse also took part in the contest. The creations were judged in two ways — 70 per cent on how useful the items collected were for the food bank and 30 per cent on creativity.
Last year the competition brought in 15,000 pounds of food and $26,000. Totals weren’t available for this year at press time.
Each winner received a plaque outlining their accomplishment. The hope is to continually grow the contest, said Shields adding she hoped to see even more businesses and municipalities take part for next year.
The money and food items collected will go to help the food bank’s bottom line, which continues to be stretched in a still struggling economy.
The hamper count from 2015 to 2016 increased by 30 per cent, adults using the food bank went up more than 30 per cent from 2015 to 2016, as did children use, up by 24 per cent.
The total number of clients also increased by 30 per cent — up to 947 in 2016 from 684 in 2015.
The amount of items coming in was up and down in 2016 compared to 2015.
Purchases in 2016 were at 37,450, down from 41,682 pounds in 2015. Grocery stores donated more in 2016. 225,388 pounds of items were collected, up from 184,894 from 2015.
Individual donations were also up, as 256,693 pounds were collected compared to 223,542 in 2015. Airport donations were down, but Walmart donated 85,724 pounds in 2016 compared to 52,846 in 2015.